Mercer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 110,652. Its county seat is Mercer, and its largest city is Hermitage. The county was created in 1800 and later organized in 1803.Mercer County is included in the Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Ashtabula ( ASH-tə-BYU-lə) is a city in Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States, and the center of the Ashtabula Micropolitan Statistical Area (as defined by the United States Census Bureau in 2003). It is located at the mouth of the Ashtabula River on Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes, across from the province of Ontario, Canada and 53 miles (85 km) northeast of Cleveland. The name Ashtabula is derived from ashtepihəle, which means 'always enough fish to be shared around' in the Lenape language. The city became an important destination on the Underground Railroad in the middle 19th century, as refugee slaves could take ships to Canada and freedom. Even in the free state of Ohio, they were at risk of being captured by slavecatchers. Beginning in the late 19th century, the city became a major coal port on Lake Erie at the mouth of the Ashtabula River northeast of Cleveland. Coal and iron were shipped here, the latter from the Mesabi Range in Minnesota. The city attracted immigrants from Finland, Sweden and Italy in the industrial period. Ashtabula hosts an annual Blessing of the Fleet Celebration, usually in late May or early June. As part of the celebration, a religious procession and prayer service is held at Ashtabula Harbor. The city was the site of the FinnFestUSA in 2007, a celebration of Finnish Americans. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 19,124, a decrease of 1,838 (8.8%). from the 20,962 residents recorded in the 2000 census. Like many other cities in the Rust Belt, it has lost population due to a decline in industrial jobs.

Erie (; EER-ee) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city was named for the Native American Erie people who lived in the area until the mid-17th century. Erie is the fifth-largest city in Pennsylvania, and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania, with a population of 94,831 at the 2020 census. The estimated population in 2021 had decreased to 93,928. The Erie metropolitan area, equivalent to all of Erie County, consists of 266,096 residents. The Erie-Meadville combined statistical area had a population of 369,331 at the 2010 census. Erie is halfway between the cities of Buffalo, New York, and Cleveland, Ohio, and due north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Erie's manufacturing sector remains prominent in the local economy, though healthcare, higher education, technology, service industries, and tourism are emerging as significant economic drivers. Over four million people visit Erie each summer for recreation at Presque Isle State Park and attractions such as Waldameer Park. Erie is known as the "Flagship City" because of its status as the home port of Oliver Hazard Perry's flagship Niagara. Erie won the All-America City Award in 1972. In 2012, Erie hosted the Perry 200, a commemoration celebrating 200 years of peace between Britain, America, and Canada following the War of 1812 and Battle of Lake Erie.

Warren is a city in and the county seat of Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio, approximately 14 miles (23 km) northwest of Youngstown and 56 miles (90 km) southeast of Cleveland. The population was 41,558 at the 2010 census. Warren is the second largest city in the Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area, and anchors the northern part of that area.